Inside Kwale's grabbed Chale island
A section of Chale Island that has been recovered from land grabbers in Kwale County on October 9, 2023. The Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission said part of the land was a Marine Reserve while the rest belonged to the community.
What you need to know:
- Mr Mwakinenje, a resident of Makongeni village in Msambweni is relieved, as he believes he can now easily access this 31-acre piece of land, which the EACC has recovered from land grabbers
- On Monday, EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak handed over the previously grabbed sections of Chale Island back to the locals and the Kenya Wildlife Service
- Apart from holding a 75-capacity luxurious beachfront hotel, part of it was also handed over to private owners until EACC claimed it was a protected area and cultural monument for Kaya Elders as it includes shrines
Days after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) helped recover property worth Sh1.2 billion on Chale Island in Kwale County, 88-year-old Zuberi Hamadi Mwakinenje says he feels his spirit renewed.
Mr Mwakinenje, a resident of Makongeni village in Msambweni is relieved, as he believes he can now easily access this 31-acre piece of land, which the EACC has recovered from land grabbers.
On Monday, EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak handed over the previously grabbed sections of Chale Island back to the locals and the Kenya Wildlife Service.
This is after a protracted court battle between EACC and the alleged grabbers since 2020.
"This is a day of reckoning for me and I feel like I have just been born again. I am so happy," said Mr Mwakinenje, who was among the locals who turned up at the handing over event.
Chale Island, is a hidden paradise on Kenya's South Coast. Apart from holding a 75-capacity luxurious beachfront hotel, part of it was also handed over to private owners until EACC claimed it was a protected area and cultural monument for Kaya elders as it includes shrines.
It takes approximately an hour and a half from Mombasa to access the Island, which involves using a tractor, operating as a bus ferrying tourists from either side of the land during low tide and a boat during high tide. Most wealthy tourists also access the place through boat rides.
The Island is accessed on a jetty, where a high-end beach hotel has been set up with luxurious rooms and swimming pools. The other larger section of the land is bushy and yet to be developed, despite it providing scenic views of the Indian Ocean.
The main entrance at Chale Island where a multimillion hotel establishment has been set on October 9, 2023. The prime Island attracts tourists from all over the world.
Abdulla Bakari, a local aged 55, believes that the land issues started when a section of the residents agreed with one foreign investor to bring his visitors to the exclusive place, but this was broken when more investors started eyeing the place with local politicians and other officials making deals while redistributing the land.
Mr Bakari further added that the recovery of the land that includes three shrines will lead to an end to most calamities within the community.
"We used to conduct special prayers on this Island here until the community started being locked away from here," he said.
According to Mr Bakari, following the interrupted cultural activities and increased luxury activities, the fish stocks had reduced while droughts were the order of the day. This, they blamed on disruption of the environment by private entities claiming to own the land.
"If we go back to our cultural practices, then we believe we will not have challenges in our areas," said Mr Bakari.
While handing over the Island in Kwale County, EACC Boss Twalib Mbarak said the illegal transfer and acquisition of the land was done during the KANU regime.
"The land was gazetted as a marine reserve for the Kenya Wildlife Service and a traditional land. But people claimed it's a settlement scheme and also allocated it to ghost persons and handed over titles to them," he said.
He added that the commission was willing to partner with counties so that they can help fight corruption across all levels.
He said the EACC was in the process of asset recovery, especially community land, urging the grabbers to surrender to the authorities before they were caught up with.
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani lauded the move by EACC but said many other pieces of land in Kwale had been grabbed, including in Chenze Ranch, Kuranze, Tiwi, Diani, Samburu, Lungalunga and Taru where fake titles had been produced, and handed over to outsiders.
"We hope that all this land will go back to the owners which are the residents. This is the first step towards ending corruption in the land sector," said Ms Achani.
She added that the county government, locals and investors will collaborate to ensure that enough development is done on Chale Island that will lead to more revenues for running the government.
Kenya Wildlife Service Conservator John Wambua said the recovered land will help in the actualisation of the Diani Marine National Reserve, as the service aims to work with the community in conserving the area.
As the county government celebrates having reacquired the land, locals are hopeful that there may not be re-grabbing, that will lead them to lose more land in the area.
